No fewer than 6000 students who graduated from the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), now work as waiters and tour guides in the tourism sector.
Mr Wale Odeyemi, head of the institute’s South-West campus, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
Odeyemi said that the graduates were now working in hotels, restaurant, firms, aviation and the cargo sub -sectors.
According to him, no fewer than 4000 students graduated in certificate courses as waiters and ticketing agents, while 2000 students graduated in the post- graduate diploma level as tour operators.
He said this number cuts across seven campuses of the school, adding that the students were from Nigeria and other West Africa countries.
“ NIHOTOUR is contributing its quota in producing well trained professionals, to enhance the development of the tourism industry.
“The school has trained over 6000 graduates in the past eight years, working as waiters in hotels and aviator sectors as ticketing agents.
“Some of these graduates are working as tour guides in the tour sector and are contributing their expertise to upgrade the industry internationally.”
He said that the institute has continued to upgrade its training facilities and was sending its lecturers abroad for further training in order to give quality education to its students.
“Well informed lecturers impart better knowledge on the students, therefore, raising the standard of the school to international level, in terms of capacity building.”
He said that NIHOTOUR conducted a research and found out that there was rapid development in the hospitality and aviation sectors and hence the need for improved manpower development in those sectors to meet the target market.
“Recent research conducted by the school revealed that there is rapid development in the Hospitality and Aviation sectors, the school hence improved its manpower development in those sectors.’’ Odeyemi said.
He said that adequate training would speed up development in the hospitality and tourism industry.